Missouri wrestling struggles in day two of NCAA Championships

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Logan Stieber improved to 30-0 with a third dominant showing in his bid for a fourth national title, and Ohio State widened its lead in the quarterfinals of the NCAA wrestling championships.

The Buckeyes had 64 1/2 points Friday, followed by Iowa with 47 1/2, Missouri with 45, Cornell with 41 1/2 and Edinboro with 40 1/2.

Stieber won by technical fall at 142 pounds over ninth-seeded Anthony Abidin of Nebraska, his second tech fall of the tournament to go with a pin. He was among five Buckeyes in the championship bracket entering the semifinals Friday night.

Missouri lost four points in the team standings and dropped to third after John Eblin was disqualified for a head butt at 174 pounds. He was competing in a "wreststleback," a format in which wrestlers stay in the tournament despite losing to championship bracket winners.

Mizzou wrestling did earn five All-American honors on Friday: redshirt senior Alan Waters (125), redshirt senior Drake Houdashelt (149), sophomore J'den Cox (197), redshirt sophomore Lavion Mayes (141), and redshirt freshman Willie Miklus (184). This achievement ties the program record for most All-Americans in a single season with the 2009 and 2013 teams.

Houdashelt is the only Tiger eligible to win a national championship. He will wrestle No. 3 David Habat of Edinboro for the 149 pound championship Saturday evening. Waters and Cox both fell in session No. 4 on Friday, but will now wrestle for third place on Saturday. Mayes and Miklus also each have a for seventh place in their respective weight classes.

Session No. 5 is set for 10 a.m. CT with session No. 6 set for for 7 p.m. CT, both on ESPN.

[Editor's Note: this story has been edited to include more information relevant to wrestlers from the University of Missouri.]